The Life of a Vegan Student

All it takes is one decision to alter the entire course of your life. For some, this is a drastic choice. For others, it is simply a change of habits. Becoming vegan has incredible health benefits for your mind, body, and soul, and encourages you to be mindful in what you consume.

Priti Majumdar, a student from Dawson College, made the decision to transform her lifestyle nearly two years ago. “It was a particular event that actually made me go vegan, overnight. I was at a dépanneur and I bought a cookie. I was taking a fitness class then with Ms. Jones at Dawson College and she had encouraged us to read labels and be mindful of what we put in our bodies. So that night, I went ahead and read the ingredients, and it just clicked. I was reading ‘eggs’, ‘milk’... and I was thinking to myself. ‘I will have the remains of a dead, innocent, animal who was killed just for me to have a cookie’. I went home that night and I researched A LOT on the egg industry, the dairy industry, and I read into why I should consider the rights of ALL animals. By educating myself, I was vegan the next morning."

To describe her emotional, physical and mental wellbeing, Majumdar went straight for an unexpected response, describing her relationship with her food. “Before going vegan, I would really just eat whatever was handed to me, and I was definitely detached from my food. After going vegan, I began to connect with my food. I realized that the food I eat is a form of self respect. My main concern with the food I eat is its effect on others around me. If the food I eat resulted in the death of another being that I could have easily prevented, then that to me is definitely not the best I can do."

In regards to her taste in foods, she feels that she now leans away from complex, artificial flavours. “Since going vegan, I find that my taste buds have changed and I am more into simple foods. Before, I used to eat tons of sodium and without it I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my food because I found it tasted ‘bland’."

She also noticed a major shift in her mentality behind her physical health, “ [Before], I was only working out just to lose weight. [Now], I also exercise and stay fit because I have grown to accept myself and put goals for myself so that I can be the best version of myself. I no longer workout to be a replica of some model on Instagram. I do it for me and for how it makes me feel. Going vegan has definitely helped me go on this path."

Contrary to the common belief, being vegan doesn’t always have to cost you a fortune. With the right research, it is very possible to maintain a vegan lifestyle while respecting a low budget. “I find that when I first went vegan, I really spent way too much. I went into it with the ignorant idea that I would have to spend so much more to make my food as tasty as the chicken I ate a month ago. However, now I save SO much more money”. She goes on, “The thing is that if you really do know about WHY you’re making the lifestyle change in veganism, then you will make the effort of researching supermarkets and different foods that will help you get your nutrients on a low budget. I am a student on eight classes and a part time job, and I am doing just fine”. Her favourite items include: “legumes like lentils and edamame, tofu, frozen fruits, rice, potatoes, chia, flax, nutritional yeast, vegetables, and dark leafy greens: most of these are all low cost at most supermarkets. I would really suggest looking into nutritional yeast and lentils- these two have changed my life!”.

Her favourite grocery stores include “IGA, Segal’s market, and Branche D'olivier. However, all supermarkets sell fruits, veggies, legumes, etc.”.

When it comes to going out to eat at a restaurant, it’s not as complicated as one may suppose. Majumdar states, “Planning ahead is key. I call restaurants prior to going out and I ask for vegan options. They tend to understand and accommodate. Almost all the restaurants I've gone to with friends and family have catered to people who will not eat meat or animal products like dairy. It’s important to explain and ask politely to ‘take out the eggs and replace with tofu’ or to ‘leave out the sour cream and cheese’”.

She states that her favourite restaurants include “Chu Chai (serves mock meats - you enjoy the taste without the suffering and harm!) Pho on Snowdon (not vegan but offers a lot of options), Poutineville (the vegan poutine is incredible), Pizza Hut (ask for the non-dairy cheese), El Rey Del Taco (almost all can be made vegan/vegetarian), and Lola Rosa”.

Majumdar concludes, “I would 100% say that I am at the best place right now regarding health (mental and physical), awareness, and compassion compared to before. It is hard to miss something that you now know has only caused harm to other beings who have the same interest of living just as you do. The chicken, cow, pig... they are the same in sentience as our dogs and cats, but how is it that we treat them differently? After realizing that, I can’t go back to my old ways of eating and treating others around me because I have now learned about the results of my actions and it’s impossible for me to miss it [going back to my old habits]”.

#studentlife #vegan #health